Worthing Thunder

BBL team
color1 = #C0C0C0
color2 = #000000
name = Worthing Thunder

imagesize = 200px
sponsor = Barkers (Tarring)
league = British Basketball League
established = 1999
history = Worthing Rebels
1999-2000
Worthing Thunder
2000-present
arena = Worthing Leisure Centre
(Capacity: 700)
location = Worthing, West Sussex
coach = flagicon|UK Gary Smith
ownership = Unknown
colours = Black, Silver and White
website = [http://www.worthing-thunder.org.uk/ Worthing-Thunder.org.uk]
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Worthing Thunder is a basketball team from Worthing, England. Founded in 1999, they now compete in the second tier English Basketball League where they are considered to be one of the frontrunning teams, having dominated in recent years as well as winning back-to-back League titles in 2006 and 2007.

Franchise history

Basketball has been played in the town of Worthing since 1984 up until 1999 when the Worthing Bears relocated to the nearby city of Brighton, where the franchise originally started. Disappointed fans looking for a new team to follow quickly snapped up the franchise of struggling Stevenage and in 1999, soon after the Bears had moved out, Worthing Thunder was born.

An excellent debut season, playing as the Worthing Rebels, saw them finish runners up in the National Basketball League Division 1, with a 21-3 record, compared to champions Teeside Mohawks' 22-2 record, as well as reaching the National Trophy final, losing 81-78 to Teeside at the Sheffield Arena in Sheffield. The following year, 2001, saw the Thunder finish again as runners-up in the renamed NBL Conference (16-5) as well as the Playoff final, both times losing out to Plymouth Raiders.

Worthing's first silverware came in 2004 in the form of the National Trophy, a competition they had finished runners up for the two years previous (2002 and 2003). The 86-72 win against the Sutton Pumas at the University of Worcester capped off a less than memorable league campaign, where the team finished 5th in the new English Basketball League Conference (15-7).

The 2004-2005 season saw mild improvement on the league standings, finishing 4th with a less favourable 13-9 record, but the Southerners did reach the National Trophy final for the fourth time in five years, losing out this time to league winners Sheffield Arrows 83-76. However it was the 2005-2006 season that would see Worthing's biggest triumph to date, crowned as EBL Division 1 winners with a 23-3 record. The Championship playoffs were beyond reach though as the Thunder succumbed to second place Reading Rockets in the showpiece final at Birmingham's National Indoor Arena, losing by 4 points 103-99.

The feats of 2005-2006 were surpassed in 2006-2007, when as well as defending their league title with a 21-1 record, Thunder reached both the National Cup and National Trophy finals, losing the former to Manchester Magic and the latter to Reading Rockets. Some element of revenge was gained at the end of the season however, when Worthing defeated Manchester Magic at Newcastle's Metro Radio Arena to claim their first ever play-off title.

On February 6, 2008, it was officially announced that the club would be exchanging hands to a new-look board of directors in a bid to step up to the elite British Basketball League, for the 2008-2009 season. [cite web| author = Brian Owen | title = New-look Worthing Thunder want to join the elite | url = http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/argusgeneralsportsnews/display.var.2024766.0.newlook_worthing_thunder_want_to_join_the_elite.php | year = 2008 | accessdate = 2008-02-06 | publisher = The Argus ] This comes just months after the club declined an invitation to compete in the BBL for the 2007-2008 season, a decision which angered some fans and prompted a rival bid for the area franchise from the Brighton Cougars.

Home arenas

:Worthing Leisure Centre (1999-present)

eason-by-season records

Notes:
*From 2000-2003 the NBL Conference operated as the second tier league, ahead of Division One.
*From 2005 onwards, the Thunder have also participated as an EBL representative of the BBL Trophy, alongside the National Trophy.

Trophies

League

* EBL Division One Winners: 2005/06 & 2006/07 2
* NBL Conference Runners Up: 2000/01 1
* NBL Division One Runners Up: 1999/00 1

Playoffs

* EBL Division One Playoff Winners: 2006/07 1
* EBL Division One Playoff Runners Up: 2005/06 1
* NBL Conference Playoff Runners Up: 2000/01 1

Trophy

* National Trophy Winners: 2003/04 1
* National Trophy Runners Up: 1999/00, 2001/02, 2002/03, 2004/05, 2006/07 & 2007/08 6

Cup

* National Cup Runners up: 2006/07, & 2007/08 2

Players

Current roster

"The numbers are established according to the official websites of the team ( [http://www.worthing-thunder.org.uk www.worthing-thunder.org.uk] ) and the English Basketball League ( [http://www.englandbasketball.co.uk www.englandbasketball.co.uk] )."

"As of February 6 2008"

Notable former players

*flagicon|USA flagicon|UK Corey McGee
*flagicon|USA flagicon|UK Gaylon Moore
*flagicon|USA Alfredo Ott
*flagicon|UK Steve Vear
*flagicon|UK Roderick Wellington

ee also

*Brighton Bears
*English Basketball League

Notes

External links

* [http://www.worthing-thunder.org.uk Official Worthing Thunder website]